1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic appliance having a display unit. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electronic appliance enabling adjustment of an angle of inclination of a display unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic appliances including office machines such as printers or copiers may include a display unit to visually provide a user with information about the operational status of the appliance. A display unit may be installed at a fixed angle of inclination on a body of the electronic appliance. Alternatively, the display unit may be installed on the body of the electronic appliance such that a user can control the inclination angle to improve convenience of storage, transport, and use.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional electronic appliance in which an inclination angle of a display unit 2 can be adjusted, and FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the conventional electronic appliance of FIG. 1. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the display unit 2 is pivotally installed on a body 1 of the electronic appliance about a hinge 3. A hollow portion 7 may be formed on the body such that when the display unit 2 is stored in the body 1, a user can access the display unit 2 to adjust the angle of inclination of the display unit 2. If there is no hollow portion 7 on the body 1, as indicated by a dotted line 6 in FIG. 1, a handle 8, also illustrated with a dotted line, can be mounted on the display unit 2 to enable a user to access the display unit 2. As shown in FIG. 2, a side portion 9 of the body 1 may be formed to expose a side portion 2a of the display unit 2.
Recently, the outer designs of electronic appliances have become increasingly commercially important. However, it is relatively difficult to creatively design such an electronic appliance with the above structure, while also allowing the inclination angle of the display unit 2 to be adjusted.
Conventionally, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a first plurality of projections 4 are formed about the hinge 3 in the display unit 2 to fix the display unit 2 at various angles of inclination. A second plurality of projections 5a, which are shaped complementary to the first projections 4, are formed on the body 1. The second plurality of projections 5a are mounted on a resilient variable tension arm 5. For external design considerations, the first and second projections 4 and 5a must be placed as close to the hinge 3 as possible to avoid being exposed to the outside. In this case, the product of the distance from the hinge 3 to the first and second projections 4 and 5a and the reaction force applied to the first and second projections 4 and 5a, should be the same as the product of the dead load of the display unit 2 and the distance from the hinge 3 to the center of mass of the display 2. Consequently, as the distance between the hinge 3 and the first and second projections 4 and 5a decreases, the reaction force applied to the first and second projections 4 and 5a increases. Moreover, the elastic force generated by the tension arm 5 must be greater than the reaction force applied to the first and second projections 4 and 5a. Therefore, a larger force is needed to adjust the inclination angle of the display unit 2. Further, due to repeated inclination angle adjustment, the first and second projections 4 and 5a tend to wear or the tension arm 5 may lose its elasticity.
Also, since the display unit 2 is exposed, the display unit 2 may be destroyed when the electronic appliance is stored or transported.
Accordingly, there is a need for an electronic appliance with an improved external design to prevent damage during storage and transport, which can also adjust an angle of inclination of a display unit with a relatively small force.